Match safe or box.



MATCH SAFE 0R BOX.

' (Application led June 6, 1901.) No Model.)

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MATCH SAFE'. OR BOX.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters atemt No. 680,612, dated August 13, 1901.4

vApplication filed June 6, 1901. Serial No. 63,439. (No model.)

To all 1077.071 it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Nashville, in 'the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Match Safes or Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to match safes or boxes, and especially to that type of such safes from which the matches are expelled endwise one at a time as needed; and it has for its object to provide an improved safe of the class referred to which will be extremely simple and inexpensive in its construction and facile and certain in its operation.

To these ends my invention consists'in the features and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical central sectional View of myimproved match-safe. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the safe supplied with matches and one of the matches in the act of being ejected, and lig. 3 is an inner end view of the cap.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a hollow cylindrical casing having reduced and threaded end portions 2 and 3, over one of which, as 2, is screwed a collar 4, having an inwardly-projecting flange 5 for the purpose hereinafter explained. Over the other end 3 of the casing is screwed a hollow domeshaped cap 6, which is provided centrally at its end or at its apex with a small perforation 7, that in practice is of such a size as to permit of the passage therethrough of but a single match at a time.

Intermediate its ends the casing l is provided with a partition 8, which divides the casing into two compartments an upper compartment 9, forming a reservoir for the matches, and a lower compartment 10, forming a receptacle and guideway for the combined guide and weight hereinafter described. The upper side of the partition 8, or that side forming the bottom of the match-reservoir 9, is funnel-shaped, as at 11, and the partition is centrally perforated, as at 12. Arranged to freely reciprocate in the perforation l2 in which is fixed a circular disk or weight 14, of such diameter that while it will neatly fit the interior of the casing or the chamber 10 will at the same time be capable of freely sliding therein. The rod and its combined weight and guide are inserted in the casing from the lower end of the latter, after which the collar 4 is screwed on the threaded end 2 of the casing and operates to prevent the weight and rod from dropping out. The rod or ejector 13 is of such length that when the weight is at the bottom of the chamber 10 the upper end of the rod will be sheathed in the perforation 12 in the partition and will be at the bottom of the funnel-shaped cavity or depression forming the bottom of the reservoir 9. The upper end of the ejector rod has formed therein a. cylindrical countersink or socket 15, of a size adapted to receive the head of an ordinary match.

The cap 6 is provided interiorly with a plurality of vertical grooves 1G, formed equidistant apart and converging at the perforation or discharge-orifice 7.

To introduce the matches into the safe, the cap 6 is unscrewed and the matches placed in the reservoir 9 with their heads downwardly disposed, after which the cap is replaced. Vhen the safe is placed upright, one of the matches will be guided, head foremost, by the funnel-shaped bottom of the reservoir into the countersunk end of the ejector-rod. If a match be desired, it is only necessary to invert the safe, when the weighted ejectorrod will force the match down and out throughr the discharge-orifice 7 in the dome, when the match may be grasped by the fingers and withdrawn from the case. Owing to the irregularity in the size of the heads of the matches some of them will not enter the socket in the ejector-rod, and the head of the match will in such cases rest on the end of the rod and its opposite end will lie against the side of the case. In such event the end of the match will engage one or the other of the grooves 16, and when it is pushed forward by the ejector-rod said groove will accurately guide the end of the match into the dischargeorifice 7. While I prefer to provide the grooves 1G for the purpose stated, nevertheless they may be omitted without departing the partition is a rod 13, to the lower end of' IOS fromY the spirit of my invention. Instead of inverting the safe to discharge a match the same result may be accomplished by inserting a finger in the bottom of the casing through the collariand lifting up the Weight. The Weight 14E not only operates to retract the ejector-rod into position to receive or engage a match, but also acts as a guide to keep the rod accurately centered in the casing or, in other words, to cause the rod to move accurately in a right line directly toward the discharge-orifice.

I have shown my improved match-safe as being made in the form of a cylinder having a rounded or dome-shaped cap; but I Wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exterior contiguration shown, as I propose to make the sate of various different ornamental, fanciful, and imitative shapes.

Having described my invention, what I claim isr- 1. In a match-safe, the combination with a casing provided With a centrally-perforated partition funnel-shaped on its upper side, of a centrally-perforated dome-shaped cap fitted on the upper end of the casing and provided interiorly with vertical grooves converging at the central perforation therein,and an ejectorrod arranged to reciprocate in the perforation in the partition, substantially as described.

2. In a match-safe, the combination With a cylindrical casing having a centrally-perfo- BENJAMIN F. PARKER.

Vtnesses:

E. A. FUsoH, INI. FELDMAN. 

